KyoAni arson suspect, still hospitalized, admits charges

November 9, 2019

Kyoto--The Kyoto Animation Co. arson suspect, remaining hospitalized nearly four months after the deadly attack, has admitted murder and other charges against him in his first police questioning, investigative sources said Saturday.

Shinji Aoba, 41, faced the questioning by the Kyoto prefectural police on Friday, according to the sources.

The arson attack at a studio of the company, also called KyoAni, in the city of Kyoto occurred in the midmorning on July 18, killing 36 people.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Aoba, a resident of Saitama, north of Tokyo, on charges of murdering the 36 and attempting to kill 34 others. The police are waiting for his recovery to serve the arrest warrant.

Aoba himself suffered severe burns on his entire body in the attack and has had skin graft surgery. He is now in a hospital in Osaka Prefecture, south of Kyoto. Jiji Press